France must officially acknowledge full responsibility for nuclear crimes committed in the Algerian Sahara during the last century, said Ibrahim Boughali, Speaker of Algeria's National People's Assembly, according to Algerian radio reports.
“France must formally and fully recognize its responsibility for these nuclear crimes, not with superficial political statements but with a clear moral commitment,” Boughali emphasized during an event addressing the lasting impacts of nuclear tests in Algeria, attended by government officials and parliament members.
Boughali stressed that France must:
Provide justice to the victims of nuclear explosions and their families, proportional to the tragedies they endured.
Take responsibility for deactivating radioactive and nuclear waste burial sites in the Sahara.
Hand over all records related to nuclear test sites to Algeria so experts can evaluate the damages and propose measures to address them.
“The consequences of these nuclear explosions must hold France accountable for its actions and their irreversible outcomes. Algeria will not turn this page without proper accountability and will not tolerate this crime remaining unacknowledged,” Boughali declared.
The speaker highlighted that this “dark chapter” of colonial history, which still casts a shadow, cannot be closed until France assumes its historical and legal responsibility for the disasters caused by its nuclear testing program. “France cannot evade this responsibility with futile attempts to sidestep the issue and ignore the facts,” he stated.
Context of French Nuclear Tests
France launched its national nuclear program in 1958, officially becoming a nuclear power during Charles de Gaulle's presidency. In February 1960, the country conducted its first atomic bomb test in the Sahara Desert. Between 1960 and 1966, France carried out over ten nuclear tests in Algeria, including underground explosions, despite Algeria gaining independence in 1962 after being a French colony since 1830.
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Based on TASS materials